Field evaluation of some bait additives against Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica) (Rodentia: Hystricidae)

This research study evaluated the effect of different additives on the bait consumption by Indian crested porcupine, a serious forest and agricultural pest, under field conditions. Different additives (saccharin, common salt, bone meal, fish meal, peanut butter, egg yolk, egg shell powder, yeast powder, mineral oil and coconut oil) at 2 and 5% each were tested for their relative preference, using groundnut–maize (1:1) as basic bait. All the additives were tested under a no‐choice test pattern. For control tests, no additive was mixed with the basic bait. Saccharin at 5% concentration significantly enhanced the consumption of bait over the basic bait, while 2% saccharin supplemented bait resulted in a non‐significant bait consumption. All other additives did not enhance the consumption of the bait material; rather, these worked as repellents. However, the repellency was lowest with the common salt, followed by egg yolk, egg shell powder, bone meal, peanut butter, mineral oil, fish meal and yeast powder, while coconut remained the most repellent compound. The present study suggested that groundnut–maize (1:1) supplemented with 5% saccharin was the preferred bait combination, and can be used with different rodenticides for the management of Indian crested porcupine.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for salinity stress: Anti-stress role and mechanisms

Salinity stress is considered one of the most harmful environmental plant stresses, as it reduces irrigated land crop production by over 20%worldwide.Hence, it is imperative to develop salt-tolerant crops in addition to understanding various mechanisms enabling plant growth under saline stress conditions.Recently, a novel biological approach that aims to address salinity stress has gained momentum, which involves the use of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in plant-microbe interactions. It has ...     

Diet analysis of small mammal pests: A comparison of molecular and microhistological methods

Knowledge of what pest species are eating is important to determine their impact on stored food products and to plan management strategies accordingly. In this study, we investigated the food habits of 2 rodents, Rattus rattus (ship rat) and Mus musculus castaneus (house mouse) as well as an insectivore, Suncus murinus (shrew), present in human dwellings. Both a microhistological approach and a DNA barcoding approach were used in the present study. Following DNA extraction, amplification was performed using group‐specific primers targeting birds, plants and invertebrates. Resulting polymerase chain reaction products were sequenced and analyzed to identify the different prey species present in the gut contents. The findings from the application of both techniques were in agreement, but the detection of prey type with each technique was different. The DNA barcoding approach gave greater species‐level identification when compared to the microhistological method, especially for the invertebrate and avian prey. Overall, with both techniques, 23 prey taxa were identified in the gut contents of the 3 species, including 15 plants, 7 insects and a single bird species. We conclude that with a selection of suitable “barcode genes” and optimization of polymerase chain reaction protocols, DNA barcoding can provide more accurate and faster results. Prey detection from either technique alone can bias the dietary information. Hence, combining prey information of both microhistological analysis and DNA barcoding is recommended to study pest diet, especially if the pest is an omnivore or insectivore species.     

Mulberry leaf water extract inhibits bermudagrass and promotes wheat growth

Allelopathy has the potential to tackle the concerns associated with the indiscriminate use of synthetic herbicides. In search of a natural herbicide, the effects of mulberry (Morus alba) leaf water extracts on bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) were investigated. Four concentrations of extract (25, 50, 75, and 100%) were compared with a control (distilled water). The results revealed that the pregermination application of 100% mulberry leaf water extract resulted in the complete inhibition of bermudagrass and wheat germination. However, postemergence, two foliar sprays suppressed only the growth of bermudagrass and promoted wheat growth. The effect of the mulberry leaf water extract was concentration dependent. It is evident that the postemergence application of mulberry leaf water extract has the scope for use as natural herbicide for the control of bermudagrass and to promote the growth and yield of wheat.